Indicator relay



1958 L. 1.. NEIDENBERG ET AL I 2,

INDICATOR RELAY Filed Nov. 18, 1957 Tlql.

V EN TO R NE/DE/VBE/FG IN [AW/PEN A OWE/V J. TAMB/J/PR ATTORNEY! United States Patent 9 INDICATOR RELAY Lawrence L. Neidenberg, Maplewood, and Owen J. Tamburr, Calonia, N. J., assignors to Line Electric Company, Inc., Newark, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application November 18, 1957, Serial No. 697,092

4 Claims. (Cl. 340-366) This invention relates to an indicator relay including a I gas discharge tube adapted to indicate the energized or delenergized condition of an electrical circuit Within the re ay.

The relay in accordance with the present invention is particularly suitable for installation in banks, as in a relay box with a plurality of similar relays, or for installation with other apparatus such as computers or control apparatus in which a compact installation is necessary. In such installations it is diflicult to trace the operation of the various circuits particularly in the event of trouble. Heretofore, in order to facilitate trouble shooting, pilot lamps have been installed in relay compartments so that the position of the relay contacts might be observed. In other installations relays have been provided with manual indicating devices or have been connected in electrical circuits with electric lamps so as to provide indications of various types. However, it has been found that the pilot lamps have not adequately lighted the relay working parts, and the mechanical and electrical devices have been expensive and unwieldy to install.

The present invention aims to overcome the difiiculties and disadvantages of prior devices by providing a simple, economical construction readily incorporated in a plugin relay as well as in relays of other types.

In accordance with the invention this is accomplished by incorporating .a miniature gas filled discharge tube mounted at the outer end or top of the relay within the case thereof and connected into an electrical circuit within the relay to give an indication of the energized and deenergized condition of the circuit to which the lamp is connected and thus provide an indication of the position of the relay contacts. Preferably the case for the relay is either wholly transparent or is made with a window of transparent material adjacent the discharg tube.

The construction in accordance with the invention'is advantageous in trouble shooting a circuit in which the relay is connected in that it is possible at a glance to ascertain over a wide view angle the presence of potential at any particular relay thus facilitating the location of the trouble, or otherwise identifying the actuated and deactivated relays.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and from the accompanying drawing which shows, by way of example, two embodiments of the invention.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is an isometric view of a relay cabinet equipped with a plurality of relays, each in a transparent case.

Figure 2 is an end view of a relay in accordance with I the invention provided with a transparent case.

Figure 3 is a side view of the relay shown in Figure 2. Figure 4 is a relay as shown in Figures 2 and 3 but fitted with an opaque case having a transparent window.

Fig. 5 is a side view with parts broken away and partly in section of the modification of the relay case of Fig. 4.

pass around the leg to secure the lamp in place.

.that it is positioned and supported by its leads.

Referring to the drawing, there is shown in Figure 1 a cabinet 1 fitted with a plurality of relays 2, all of which are of the indicator type in accordance with the present invention. The relay 2 includes an L-shaped frame of flat strapmetal comprising a foot portion 3 and an upwardly directed leg portion 4 positioned outwardly of a conventional actuating coil 5 which is secured to foot 3. inwardly of coil 5 is a mounting base structure 6 having a plurality of plug-in connection prongs 7a-7d extending therefrom as well as a conventional centering or alignment pin 8.

A magnetic armature 9 is mounted by a pivot 10 on the end of the leg 4, and normally is maintained in the upward, unactuated position by a spring 11 tensioned between extension 12 of the armature 9 and a projection 13 extending perpendicularly from the leg 4. Armature 9 is provided at its inward end with a set of double contacts 14 positioned back-to-back and adapted to alternatively neon or any other suitable gas well known in the .art, is

positioned on the outside of leg 4 and below projection 13, transverse to the leg 4, so that its leads 22 and 23 Lamp are shown approximately to scale in the figures. The

.lamp as illustrated in this embodiment was approximately long and M in diameter. The lamp is represented as spaced from leg 4 to illustrate more clearly As is seen in Figs. 2 and 3, the lamp is of a diameter approximately the same as the length of the projection 13, and thus need occupy no additional space in the relay structure.

According to the indication desired by the lighting of the discharge lamp 21, leads 22 and 23 may be connected in parallel with leads 19 and 20 from coil 5 so that the lamp and relay coil 5 are energized together. Alternatively, they may be connected between either of wires 17 and 18 and ground, or otherwise, so that the lamp is illuminated or extinguished when the relay is actuated or deactuated, or conversely. Obviously, if the discharge lamp terminal leads 22 and 23 are connected in parallel with the coil 5, an indication will be provided by the light from the discharge lamp when the coil is ener ized, if the energizing voltage is sufficient. In some installations, as, if the voltage across the coil is too low to operate the discharge lamp, it may be connected to or across one or the other of the pairs of contacts Providing the desired voltage. In either condition the lamp will provide an indication of the position of the relay armature, and, of course, monitor the circuit to which it is connected As shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 a protective case 24 of transparent material, is fitted over the outward end of the QQWF In Figures 4 and 5 there is shown a somewhat modified form of the relay in that relay case 25a is made of opaque material which, of course, may be either metal or nonsta 1 orde o ob er th d h ge Lamp- 2 a window 26 is made by inserting a transpare 'n t member in an aperture 27 formed in the wall of the case. The window 26 may be a transparent plastic plug easily snapped into engagement with the wall of the aperture 27 or itmay be a glass lens, as shown, mounted in grommet fashion as well-known in the art.' The lamp is thus positioned behind the window member, as shown.

While the invention has been described and illustrated with respect to two specific embodiments thereoflit will be understood that other embodiments may be resorted to without departing from the invention. Therefore, the form of the invention set out above should be considered as illustrative and not as limiting the scope of the following claims, i

Weclaim:

l. A 'selflcontained compact indicator relay suited for use in banks, including as a unitary assembly: a base structure to which the bottom of the relay proper is secured, a relay frame comprising a length of strap metal bent in L-shape to form a footportion and a leg portion, said leg constituting the top of the relay proper, means attaching the end of said foot to said base, a relay coil which is positioned on the inside of said frame, is secured at one end to said foot and has a magnetic pole piece at the other end, circuit connection means through which said coil is energized, a movable armature pivoted to the end of said leg and extending across said pole piece approximately parallel to said foot, a movablescontact carried by said armature, a fixed contact secured to said base and aligned to connect with the movable contact, circuit connecting means connected to said contacts, an extension on said armature beyond the pivot thereof, a projection on the outside of said leg and extending away therefrom, spring means extending between said extension and said projection biasing the armature against the attraction of the magnetic pole an indicator lamp of miniature tubular gas-discharge type having leads extending therefrom, said leads being connected to tyvo of said connection means and serving to support and position said lamp adjacent the outside surface of said leg and adjacent said projection was to illuminate the top of said relay proper, said lamp having a diameter of the same order of magnitude as the distance by which said springrneans and projection extend from the outside surface of said leg, contact prongs of the separable connector type extending from said base structure and connected to said connecting means, and a transparent case of rigid material enclosing said relay and lamp, closely fitting the same on the sides and top, and being attached to said base structure, so as to permit observation arena lamp and of the operation of the relay arrn atnre,"and to enn- .stitut a rigid handle by which the indicator relay as a unit is adapted to bemanually plugged into a complernentarys ocket. l

2QA self-contained indicator plug-in relay suited for use in banks, including as alunitary structure: a base forming the bottom of the relay, a rigid frame ofstraplike material including a foot portion and a leg portion disposed substantially at right angles tde'ach'other, said foot being attached to the base and said leg comprising the top of the relay, a relay coil positioned within the angle of said frame, armaturearrangedto-be actuated by the magnetic field of said coil, contacts actuated by movement of the armature, connection prongs of the plug-in type extending from said base and connected to said coil and said relay contacts, an indicator lamp positioned on the top side of said leg, said lamp being of long-life miniature type and having leads passing out of said lamp and of stiffness sufiicient to support and maintain said lamp in position, electrical attachments between said leads and circuit elements of said relay by which said leads are secured to'the relay, and a case covering and closely enclosing said relay and lamp, said case being of rigid material attached to said relay structure, at least the portion of said case which covers said lamp being transparent, whereby to facilitate observation of said lamp over a wide view angleand to constitute a handle by which the indicator relay as a unit is adapted to be manually plugged into a complementary socket.

3. A self-contained compact indicator relay including as a unitary structure: a base to which the bottom of the 'relay proper is s'ecured, a relay frame comprising a length of flat metalbe'nt in L-shape to form a foot portion and a 'leg portion, said leg portioncOnstituting the top of the relay proper, means attaching the end of said foot portion to said base, a relay coil 'which is'positioned on the inside of said frame, is secured at one end to said foot portion and'ha's" a'rnagnetic pole piece at the other enr, circuit connection means through which s'aid'c'oil is energized, a'movable armature pivoted to said leg and extending across said pole piece, a movable contact carried by said armature, a fixed contact secured to said base and aligned toconnect with the movable contact, circuit connection means connected to said contacts, an indicator lamp of miniature,'long-life type having leads extending from the end thereof, said leads being connected to two of said connection means and servinglto support and position said lamp adjacent theoutside surface'of said leg so as to' illuminate the same, anda case enclosing said relay and said lamp, said case being transparent at least at its end portion adjacent said lamp. i

4. An indicator relay including an L-shaped frame comprising a foot portion and a leg portion, a relay coil mounted on the inside of the frame, electrical connection means leading from the coil to the exterior of the relay, an armature carried by and pivoted on said leg portion and actuable by an electric current in the coil, electrical contactsactuable into circuit-changing position by movement of .the armature, electrical connection means leading from said contacts to the exterior of the relay, a gas-filled discharge lamp of miniature type positioned on theoutside of and adjacent said leg portion, electrical connection leads connecting the discharge lamp with two of the electrical connection means leading from the relay, said leads being secured to said lamp and passing around said leg' portion so as to position and support said lamp, a base member supporting the relay frame, and a transparent case secured to the base member and enclosing the relay and lamp, whereby the discharge lamp when-illuminated iis fvisible cover a .wide angle to indicate the electrical condition of the relay circuit to which it is connected and whereby the components ,of the relay are continuously visible.

References Cited intthe file of this patent UNITED PATENTS 

